With the FIFA Women’s World Cup underway, Nike has pumped up its advertising to make sure the most successful U.S. soccer team isn’t forgotten. Even with games going on in the wee hours of the morning, word is spreading about the World Cup and U.S. games are even being replayed in the evenings.
Without a top-flight women’s league, this is about as good as it gets for women’s soccer exposure in the U.S (I heard more about the men’s national team’s friendly against Brazil than I did about the beginning of the World Cup). But that doesn’t mean the women have been forgotten. Nike has made sure of that by continuing to develop its product in the female spectrum. Earlier this year it put out the first shoe specially designed for women with the Nike First2 Pro. The company developed a whole line around the World Cup and has made sure the women’s team isn’t just remembered for 1999 and Brandy Chastain’s sports bra.
But while the WNT is ranked No. 1 in the world, how much longer can it continually produce top-level talent without a top league? The WUSA struggled for too many reasons to count, but if Major League Soccer can survive in America, a women’s league should be able to. And with the U.S. already leading the world in women’s soccer, it should strive to stay ahead of the curve and maintain its dominance. For once it’s nice to watch a U.S. game and not feel like an underdog struggling for respect.
There has to be someway for top-flight women’s soccer to gain traction in the U.S. and find a way to further tap its talent base. Reminding the public once every four years just isn’t enough, no matter how good the effort is.
Good champion guys. Keep fighting!